Today is a big day for my friend with CF—she is getting new lungs today. They got the call last night and I saw updates on Facebook this morning that she was getting prepped. But things are looking good that it is actually going to happen. I am so happy for her, I know she will take such good care of her precious new lungs.
I texted her this morning and to my surprise, she texted me back! I thought she might already be asleep. But she said it would take 6-8 hours. A couple people are posting updates on Facebook; it's the one time I'm thankful for Facebook, haha. I ask that you keep her, her husband, the donor family, and the doctors in your prayers today.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Sochi Problems
I'm a fan of the Olympics, for some reason. I like the novelty of it: since it only happens every 4 years, and I like seeing the sports that are not common on TV. But based on everything I'm hearing, this is shaping up to be the strangest Olympics I've ever heard of. At the games in China in 2008, at that time I recall people being up in arms because, well, China's communist and also about a smog problem. Sochi is sounding worse. Here's a run down of everything I've heard so far:
- That infamous two-toilet-in-one-room photo?
- Plus you can't flush toilet paper there, you have to put your used toilet paper in a bin (Blech!) Apparently this isn't uncommon in other countries where they don't have the water pressure to move things through the pipes. But come on... a brand new resort, with brand new everything, should have plumbing strong enough to take care of this... especially for all of the money they've put into this thing.
- The tap water looks like pee and people are being told not to even wash their face with it.
- They have a stray dog problem and had promised to build a shelter for all of them a year ago, but it never happened. So instead, they are killing as many stray dogs as they can (most likely by poisoning them.)
- It's the most expensive EVER, clocking in at $50 billion and counting (the previous holder of that title was China for the 2008 summer games at $40 billion.)
- Located in what is actually a beach town on the Black Sea, not usually that cold, complete with palm trees.
- Therefore they've had to truck in snow from the mountains and stockpile it for over a year, just in case they need it.
- Many structures are still being built, and the Olympics start on Friday
- Some of the hotels were never even completed. And even in the ones that were, there are numerous reports that almost every single room is missing something: lightbulbs, covers for lights, curtains, televisions, shower curtains, hot water, or water at all (they seriously must have the worst project managers of all time.)
- Plus the fact that Sochi is located not all that far from controversial, violent areas that struggle with terrorists. Some are saying it will be the "most dangerous games ever"
- Plus the fact that they [the Russians] have been fighting with the Czechs for hundreds of years in this area, violently.
- Despite the insane amount of security they've hauled in, Americans are being told to not wear anything American or patriotic to make yourself look like an American.
- Oh and there's the whole gay rights and free speech issues...
Monday, February 3, 2014
Tidbits and Musings
- I'm supposed to have my doctor's appointment tomorrow, but with the incoming snow we will see if that happens. My dad is set to take me in the truck, but that may all change with the forecast tomorrow morning. This sucks and is also kind of funny because these appointments were already delayed and rescheduled once... due to the weather two weeks ago. So they might just be rescheduled again.
- Even though the Super Bowl itself was not so good (if you're not a Seahawks fan [shout out to my favorite Seahawks fans, you know who you are!]) I thought the rest of it was good. For the first time in a while, you didn't have to hide your kids during the commercials or the halftime show. Bruno Mars did a great job, proving he was a worthy choice, and RHCP did fine too. I'm glad to see things are circling back around commercial-wise too. We weren't inundated with snarky or immature boobs and booze humor. Although I did feel some of the commercials were a bit too warm and fuzzy for my tastes. That being said, I still loved the Budweiser puppy; it's cute, and I love all things cute. And the puppy has a Twitter account, which I started following on Friday. It's adorable, and it started with a video of the puppy running giddily back and forth on a giant keyboard with the caption "I'm Tweeeeeeeeting!" Super cute.
- Best new discovery to occupy your dog: stuffing treats into a Kong toy. Seriously. I bought some extra tasty peanut butter softie treats for Josie, and put a couple inside her Kong, and she is SET! It took her 1.5 hours the other day to get them all out (or lick them all away) the other day, and she never tired of it. Obviously, the treat is worth the effort, plus it keeps her mentally engaged aka, not bored.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Correction on Previous Blog
I stand corrected. My mom tells me that she "is pretty sure" Schnucks and Walmart offer free cookies to kids. Now that she says that, yes I've seen that at Walmart; people walk up to the bakery counter and an employee hands the child a cookie. But the employee didn't hand them out in the incident I wrote of, so I assumed they were taking them. Maybe they cleared it with the worker before they walked over, who knows. Either way, I apologize for bring you along on a rant. This DOES, however, make me glad that I minded my own business haha.
In other news, boy this has been an odd winter! I think it's that way for the entire country. Even my friend in Alaska said it was too warm up there last week. We had thunderstorms last night, thank goodness it wasn't all snow. And previously we had the -30 wind chills, a foot of snow, and our temps in general have been fluctuating on a grand scale. I'm ready for spring.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Mom Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
Who me?
Yes you!
Couldn't be!
Then who?
While I was picking out bagels at Schnucks, a mom brought her two kids over to the cookies. She picked out a cookie for each of them and handed it to them. They ate it while she piddled around looking at the rest of the desserts. Um... HELLO??? Aren't you going to pay for that!? What in the world. Showing your kids it's okay to steal food? They're not free samples. I was so taken aback A, that she wasn't even the least bit ashamed, B, that she didn't even try to hide it, and C, how matter of frank the entire thing was, like they do this all the time. It's time like this I wish I was more bold, I wish I would have called her out for it. Part of me wanted to, the other part told me to mind my own business. That part won.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Starting Rehab
...but not THAT kind of rehab.
Yesterday was my first official day of pulmonary rehab! Tuesday was my 'setup' day where we went over all of my information, made sure my chart was up to date, and went over the program and what I would be doing.
Every day I do exercises on the treadmill, then the arm machine (that little thing that sits on a table and looks like your arms are pedaling a bike), and a step machine which is like climbing steps but you're sitting. I think they're excited to have me because I'm a slightly different case than usual. I'm excited about it too.
When I walked in, I immediately saw a woman doing crafts to pass the time while her husband was in rehab, talking with another lady about their AARP benefits. Yep, I'm definitely the youngest person there.
The most common reasons cardiac and/or pulmonary rehab is prescribed for heart patients and adults with COPD or emphysema. Even the nurses commented how they weren't sure I was the patient, saying "Your chart painted a different picture." I get that a lot, and my doctor and I have talked about it. It's a blessing and a curse. I look healthy—my skin has good color, I'm young, I'm not overweight, I don't struggle to walk or display problems with my joints. But my insides, mostly my lungs, tell a different story. It is difficult because it takes some mental power on my part to also admit that I'm as sick as I am, when I show no outward signs. But hopefully it'll stay that way for a long time!
Yesterday was my first official day of pulmonary rehab! Tuesday was my 'setup' day where we went over all of my information, made sure my chart was up to date, and went over the program and what I would be doing.
Every day I do exercises on the treadmill, then the arm machine (that little thing that sits on a table and looks like your arms are pedaling a bike), and a step machine which is like climbing steps but you're sitting. I think they're excited to have me because I'm a slightly different case than usual. I'm excited about it too.
When I walked in, I immediately saw a woman doing crafts to pass the time while her husband was in rehab, talking with another lady about their AARP benefits. Yep, I'm definitely the youngest person there.
The most common reasons cardiac and/or pulmonary rehab is prescribed for heart patients and adults with COPD or emphysema. Even the nurses commented how they weren't sure I was the patient, saying "Your chart painted a different picture." I get that a lot, and my doctor and I have talked about it. It's a blessing and a curse. I look healthy—my skin has good color, I'm young, I'm not overweight, I don't struggle to walk or display problems with my joints. But my insides, mostly my lungs, tell a different story. It is difficult because it takes some mental power on my part to also admit that I'm as sick as I am, when I show no outward signs. But hopefully it'll stay that way for a long time!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Spoiler Alert on "Reality" TV
It seems ages ago when "reality tv" became a thing, when we progressed away from scripted sitcoms to real life shows. Even so, reality tv has morphed into something else and it seems every new show follows an obscure person or obscure group of people; that's the million dollar formula. And somehow you make a show out of it.
But I'm not so sure how many people actually realize that almost every show is still scripted; I think it's understood by most, but I am also confident that many people would be aghast if you told them that their favorite show is faked, as I was with the last example I'll give.
It's one thing if you choose to ignore it. You want to be entertained, don't want to have to think while you watch TV, so you bite and take the bait. That's fine, and I get that. I watch Duck Dynasty but I am fully aware (and fully okay) with the fact that they feed them situations to help create the show. But I'm a thinker and in my truthful core, I always try to figure out if they're pulling one over me or not. Sometimes I'm okay with it, sometimes I'm not. Consider the following a "How Do They Do It" and I'd advise you to stop reading now if you want to remain blissfully immersed in Call of the Wildman, American Pickers, or House Hunters. If you're curious, read on.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Cold Tuesday
It is a whopping 14 degrees outside, bitterly cold once again. Luckily it wasn't too windy today, or else it would have felt like it did right after New Year's. It sure was windy overnight though.
We got a dusting of snow overnight and schools were called off today. When I woke up, I thought that sounded ridiculous! Once again, it seemed that everyone was scared away by the tiny amount of snow. Then I learned from Jarrod that his drive to work was kinda rough, hitting a solid sheet of ice on the way. And the weather lady said that the snow fell on warm roads, melted, and then refroze as it got colder. Oh... now I get it.
Not wanting to risk it, I cancelled my doctor's appointments today and will do them in a couple weeks. The nurse understood completely and didn't want me to try and venture west (where they didn't get any snow). So I stayed in and worked from home all day and then went to Walmart tonight. I must say, that was possibly the best Walmart experience I've had in a while. Turns out no one shops at 6-7 pm, there was hardly anyone there. It was great, and I was out of there in less than an hour.
I also finished a book that I've been reading like crazy; I don't think I've ever attacked a non-fiction book so quickly. It was Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's Kings of Beer. It was such a good book. The author did a fantastic job researching (he listed his sources, broken out by paragraph) and you could tell he strived to give an accurate portrayal of the Busch family, unlike the media coverage that they received in the newspapers (especially in recent years) which sounded as if it was practically dictated by those in charge to spin things in a good light.
But it is a sad tale, really. In a nutshell, I'll give you my thoughts: To go from the founding father Adolphus, with his glamorous over-the-top-ness, to his son who was just as flashy, to "Gussie" Busch, the stubborn man who was respected by most of St. Louis and who turned the company into a booming business, to August III who ousted his father, yes, but still had a good work ethic and believed in quality and being the best, to his son August IV, the hard-partying cocaine-addicted mess of a CEO (and mess of a guy in general) who never really cared enough about the business to take it seriously—that is a sad story. None of these men were perfect people by any means, or very moral, and they spent/wasted a lot of their millions, but they all believed in their business and their community, except for the last guy, IV. A-B was a source of pride for StL where a man could get a job, make a career there, buy a house, send his kids to college, but now that pride is mostly gone and everyone says it's just not the same since InBev bought them out. I feel like I learned so much St. Louis history in this book and like I said, it is a sad story to go from so much pride to so much disgrace and scandal. I highly recommend it especially if you are from St. Louis, like non-fiction, or enjoy a good well-rounded story.
We got a dusting of snow overnight and schools were called off today. When I woke up, I thought that sounded ridiculous! Once again, it seemed that everyone was scared away by the tiny amount of snow. Then I learned from Jarrod that his drive to work was kinda rough, hitting a solid sheet of ice on the way. And the weather lady said that the snow fell on warm roads, melted, and then refroze as it got colder. Oh... now I get it.
Not wanting to risk it, I cancelled my doctor's appointments today and will do them in a couple weeks. The nurse understood completely and didn't want me to try and venture west (where they didn't get any snow). So I stayed in and worked from home all day and then went to Walmart tonight. I must say, that was possibly the best Walmart experience I've had in a while. Turns out no one shops at 6-7 pm, there was hardly anyone there. It was great, and I was out of there in less than an hour.
I also finished a book that I've been reading like crazy; I don't think I've ever attacked a non-fiction book so quickly. It was Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's Kings of Beer. It was such a good book. The author did a fantastic job researching (he listed his sources, broken out by paragraph) and you could tell he strived to give an accurate portrayal of the Busch family, unlike the media coverage that they received in the newspapers (especially in recent years) which sounded as if it was practically dictated by those in charge to spin things in a good light.
But it is a sad tale, really. In a nutshell, I'll give you my thoughts: To go from the founding father Adolphus, with his glamorous over-the-top-ness, to his son who was just as flashy, to "Gussie" Busch, the stubborn man who was respected by most of St. Louis and who turned the company into a booming business, to August III who ousted his father, yes, but still had a good work ethic and believed in quality and being the best, to his son August IV, the hard-partying cocaine-addicted mess of a CEO (and mess of a guy in general) who never really cared enough about the business to take it seriously—that is a sad story. None of these men were perfect people by any means, or very moral, and they spent/wasted a lot of their millions, but they all believed in their business and their community, except for the last guy, IV. A-B was a source of pride for StL where a man could get a job, make a career there, buy a house, send his kids to college, but now that pride is mostly gone and everyone says it's just not the same since InBev bought them out. I feel like I learned so much St. Louis history in this book and like I said, it is a sad story to go from so much pride to so much disgrace and scandal. I highly recommend it especially if you are from St. Louis, like non-fiction, or enjoy a good well-rounded story.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Yesterday
Yesterday, the 15th, was Jarrod and I's anniversary of being together. Eight years ago, in the wee hours of the morning while talking on the phone Jarrod asked me out. And you could say the rest is history.
Wow, eight years!
In other news, I've started training for my 5k! So far it's been good. I'm trying to build up my endurance walking at a brisk pace of 3 miles an hour; not attempting jogging just yet. Because even if I walked at that pace the whole time, I'd finish is just over an hour, which is pretty good.
Wow, eight years!
In other news, I've started training for my 5k! So far it's been good. I'm trying to build up my endurance walking at a brisk pace of 3 miles an hour; not attempting jogging just yet. Because even if I walked at that pace the whole time, I'd finish is just over an hour, which is pretty good.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Jamie's Big 5K
It's snowing right now, yay snow! I haven't gotten a chance to see an updated weather forecast but hopefully it'll amount to something. I believe it is supposed to.
Tonight I had a good walk on the treadmill, which was great because lately I've been feeling a little more 'meh'. But before I took my walk I finaaallllyyyy… wrote out my 5K training schedule! Woo hoo!
Now that I have it down in pen and ink, and have it planted on top of the treadmill, I know what I need to do. On the website for GoSTL they had a suggested training schedule that lasted 9 weeks. I am going to need to ease into it a little more, so I modified it out to start next Monday, which will make it 13 weeks of training. Then tonight I've been reading up on some tips for your first 5K, which were helpful.
Furthermore, if I can get all set up with the pulmonary rehab my doctor wants me to do, that will really help me in training for this because the point of rehab is to build up your endurance. Pulmonary rehab would be three times a week, MWF, and those days coordinate perfectly with my training schedule and what I'm supposed to do on MWF.
Tonight I had a good walk on the treadmill, which was great because lately I've been feeling a little more 'meh'. But before I took my walk I finaaallllyyyy… wrote out my 5K training schedule! Woo hoo!
Now that I have it down in pen and ink, and have it planted on top of the treadmill, I know what I need to do. On the website for GoSTL they had a suggested training schedule that lasted 9 weeks. I am going to need to ease into it a little more, so I modified it out to start next Monday, which will make it 13 weeks of training. Then tonight I've been reading up on some tips for your first 5K, which were helpful.
- Mentally break the race out into 4 mini-races, three 1-mile races, then a fourth (and easy) tenth of a mile.
- Do your first mile slow, pick up the pace for the second, then kick it in gear and try to pass a person in the last mile.
- When training, develop a brisk walk, then add in some jogging, then add in running as you can handle it.
Furthermore, if I can get all set up with the pulmonary rehab my doctor wants me to do, that will really help me in training for this because the point of rehab is to build up your endurance. Pulmonary rehab would be three times a week, MWF, and those days coordinate perfectly with my training schedule and what I'm supposed to do on MWF.
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